Archibald mckellae



(No Model.)

-A. MQKELLAR.

JOINING METALLIC SEGTIONS.-

No. 354,988. Patented D sc. 28, 1886.

W! i 1 1'; U

Ti ih //7 1/5/7 far ATENT ARCHIBALD MOKELLAR, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE MONUMENTAL BRONZE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

JOINING METALLIC SECTIONS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 354,988, dated December 28, 1886.

Application filed June 1, 1886.

Serial No. 203,971. No model.

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AROHIBALD MOKELLAR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Con necticut, have invented certin new and useful Improvements in Joining Metallic Sections; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the condition consists practically of a single piece of metal. The different parts, moreover, are

joined in such a manner that should not perfeet fusion take place the partswill be held firmly together by clamps of the same metal run in while in a molten condition, and which in cooling act to draw the parts together. \Vith these ends in view I have devised the novel monument and method of joining the parts thereof, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, numbers being used to indicate the several parts.

Figure l is a perspective of amonument, a portion being broken away to show one of the corner-joints as it appears on the inside and another corner-joint in section; Fig. 2, a plan view showing two of the parts laid together ready to be joined and showing dams in place ready for the pouring of the metal to form the clamps; Fig. 3, a similar view'after the metal of which the clamps are formed has been poured in; Fig. 4, a similar View after the dams have been removed and molten metal poured between the clamps; Fig. 5, a crosssection on the line a: m in Fig. 2; Fig. 6, a cross-section on the line y 3 in Fig. 3; Fig. 7, a cross-section on the line z z' in Fig. 4; and Fig. 8 is'a plan view on an enlarged scale of one of the parts detached, showing a recess.

It is of course well understood that metallic monuments, metallic statuary, and this general class of articles are made hollow and of numerous parts, which require to be joined together. My present invention is capable of general application to this class of work, and

I have found it of especial value in themanufacture of so-called "whit-e bronze monu- 5 ments and statuary. I am well aware that the broad idea of uniting the parts of which these articles are made by fusing, or, as it is known in the art, burning, the parts t0- gether, is not new. As a matter of fact, however, this is a somewhat difficult operation, and is seldom perfectly performed. If a por- "tion of the metal of both parts on the inner side of the joint is not removed it is difficult to fuse the parts entirely together if of ordi- 6 nary thickness. On the other hand, if a portion of the metal is removed from the parts upon the inner side of the joint there is great danger when the molten metal is poured in that it will fuse the edges of the parts entirely through and will all run out. I wholly overcome these objections by my present invention,-and make a strongerand more perfect joint than has ever heretofore beenproduced, and without the use of solder or any additional means for joining the parts together. 1 and 2 indicate two of the parts of a metal monument, statue, or other article.

3 indicates undercut recesses made in the edges of these parts. These recesses are formed in the process of casting, and ordinarily extend about half-way through, as clearly shown in Figs. 5, 6, and S.

An important feature of construction is that the edges of the recesses upon the inner side are partially closed by projections 4, the purposes of which will presently be more fully explained. The shape of these-recesses is not an important feature of my invention, further than that they should be undercut, as shown, and provided with projections at the edges.

5 denotes. the usual bevel or miter at the edges of the parts. \Vhen the parts are to be joined,they are laid together with the mitered edges in contact, care being taken to make the recesses in the opposite parts register with each other, as clearly shown in Fig. 2.

6 indicates dams which are placed on opposite sides of each pair of recesses, as shown .in

Figs. '2, 3, and 5. These dams may be made of any suitable material. In practice, however, soft clay is ordinarily used for this purpose.

Having laid the parts together and placed the dams in position, the recesses are poured full of molten metal, which is allowed to fill the angle between the plates some distance above the recesses, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. This metal when cooled forms clamps 7. The metal for this purpose is heated just suificiently to bring it to a condition to pour. As it cools, the metal in the recesses which forms the clamps shrinks slightly, the effect of which is to draw the two parts firmly together, and as the thickness of the parts is reduced by the recesses the metal of the two parts will be sufficiently fused to unite firmly together. Projections 4 insure that the parts will be firmly held together during the cooling, and also that should perfect fusion at the joint not be effected bythe molten metal the parts will still be firmly held together by the clamps, which are, of course, narrowest at the center and wide at both ends, corresponding with the shape of each pair of recesses. As soon as the metal forming the clamps is set,the dam may be removed and the spaces between the dams, and also that occupied by the dams, may be filled in with molten metal. The metal used for this purpose is heated to a high degreemuch hotter, in fact, than the metal of which the clamps were formed. As the metal of the parts at this portion is double the thickness that it is where the clamps are formed, it is necessary that the molten metal poured in should be highly heated, in order to fuse the metal of the parts clear through to the outer edges. After the parts of the monument or other article are joined together the exterior of the joints is finished in the usual or any preferred manner. The joints are ordinarily smoothed down, after which the article is exposed to a sandblast.

I do not of course desire to limit myself to the exact details of construction herein shown and described, as it is obvious that they may be widely varied without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim- 1. The method of forming metallic joints, which consists, first, in beveling the edges of the parts; secondly, in providing the edges with undercut recesses partially closed at their outer edges; thirdly, in filling the recesses and the angle between the parts above the recesses 'with molten metal to form clamps, and, fourthly, in filling the spaces between the clamps with molten metal.

'2. The herein-described method of forming metal joints, which consists in beveling the edges of the parts to bejoined and providing them with undercut recesses, -partially closed at their outer edges, then filling the recesses and the angle between the parts above the recesses with molten metal to form clamps, which draw and hold the parts together, and finally in filling the spaces between the clamps with molten metal heated to a high degree, whereby the metal of the parts is thoroughly fused together.

3. The method of joining pieces of metal together, which consists in providing the edges of the parts with undercut recesses which register with each other, the outer edges of said recesses being partially closed, then filling said recesses with molten metal to form joints, the

metal being dammed at each side of said recesses, and finally in removing the dams and filling the spaces between the clamps with molten meta, whereby the edges of the parts are fused together, substantially as described.

4. A metallic monument consisting of parts '1 and 2, the edges of which are beveled, as shown, and provided with undercut recesses 3, partially closed at their outer edges by projections 4., in combination with clamps 7, made of the same material and fused to the parts.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARCHIBALD MCKELLAR.

Witnesses:

A. M. Woosrna, O. E. RUGGLES. 

